Venezuela News Review 15.10.05

By Aleksander Boyd

Electoral fraud all over again. The magnanimous head of Venezuela's Electoral Council (CNE), Jorge Rodriguez, declared yesterday that only 1% of the boxes in which the paper trails issued by the Smartmatic voting machines are deposited shall be opened for auditing processes. "One box per voting centre is more than enough and representative" allegedly said Rodriguez. Further he is on the record stating that the request presented by the opposition and pro-Chavez parties of having 47% of the boxes audited was rejected by the CNE for it would be most bothersome ("bastante engorroso") [sic]. Never mind article 169 of the Organic Law of Suffrage and Political Participation that establishes that processes of vote scrutiny shall be public without anymore limitations than those derived from the physical constraints of the rooms in which the said processes shall be conducted.

Poverty down in Venezuela or creative chavista method of measuring it? The neocommunist regime of Hugo Chavez has been heavily criticised owing to its appalling track record in tackling poverty in Venezuela. Having received, by far, the largest income of any contemporary administration it has failed utterly and miserably at bringing poverty levels down, let alone creating employment, providing housing solutions, etc. So what does a larger than life revolutionary do to solve the problem? He orders his minions to come up with new ways of measuring poverty. Miguel Octavio puts it best:

The Head of the National Institute for Statistics said
today that Venezuela had advanced in fighting poverty during the last six years according to the new way poverty is being measured. The “old way” yielded an increase in poverty of 10% of the population under Chavez, but with the new measure there are improvements. He then proceeded to note that poverty in Venezuela is “different” because 96% of the population has electricity and 76% have refrigerators, which does not happen in other countries. He failed to note that this Government has built no new electric infrastructure in the last seven years and that the number of households with a refrigerator remains unchanged. I guess he was praising the IVth. The accomplishments of the IVth. Republic.

To Miguel's observation I would only add that foreign sycophants have in the past attacked the method in which poverty is measured by serious institutions for it does not contemplate the intangible feel-good factor of those who depend on Chavez-sponsored MERCAL for their food intake. Neither does it factor in the devolution of dignity to the poor occurred during Fidelito's tenure...

Venezuela's Attorney General blames the CIA for the death of Danilo Anderson. Ring leader of extortionists gang, otherwise known as the hero of the Bolivarian revolution prosecutor Danilo Anderson, was, according to Isaias Rodriguez, Attorney General, assassinated by CIA agents that mounted an operation in Miami and Panama. Rodriguez said it is difficult to pin down CIA's precise participation due to the "territorial conception of the crime"? ("concepcion territorial del delito") [sic].

Hugo Chavez expels US missionaries from Venezuela. Sporting military fatigues and red beret, an incensed Chavez lashed Venezuela's army for having permitted that American missionaries evangelized indigenous communities in various parts of the country. He ordered the immediate expulsion of the group arguing that the true purpose of the evangelical group is to spy and pass intel to the US administration. One must wonder whether he will do the same with a Maryknoll missionary formerly employed by the Venezuela Information Office...

Venezuela Nuclear? Venezuela was the only country that voted in favour of Iran's continuation with its nuclear programme. Venezuela has expressed willingness to purchase a nuclear reactor from Argentina. Readers can, I am sure, do the math.

Only Venezuela and Cuba refuse to admit the terrorist nature of the FARC. Quite telling isn't it? From EFE News:

Cuba and Venezuela objected to describing as "illegal" and "terrorist" the armed groups active in Colombia - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas in particular - which the two nations prefer to call "irregular," according to sources who requested anonymity. But that term was rejected by most of the Ibero-American delegations, which shared Colombia's position that the groups are rightly called "terrorist," and also expressed political support for President Alvaro Uribe's peace efforts.

Then some still doubt about Chavez's support for the narcoterrorist group...

Spanish police have seized 3.5 tonnes of cocaine in a fishing boat bound for Spain from Venezuela after tip-offs from U.S. authorities, a government statement said on Thursday.

No wonder having those DEA agents investigating around in Venezuela was such an inconvenience for the regime...

Hugo Chavez's quotes for the history books. Regarding widespread claims that he is a tyrant Chavez stated "In Cuba just like in Venezuela, there is a process of liberalization... They claim that there is tyranny in Cuba too, but what Cuba really has is a revolution ensuring jobs, education and healthcare." Without compunctions of mind Chavez also has stated that Killing Machine Che Guevara is his idol and an example for South America. With respect to Cuba's 'democracy' he expressed "... no one should be fooled in Venezuela. What there is [in Cuba] is a revolutionary democratic system, not the traditional democracy that was imposed upon us..."